When to tell the kids!

[Becky2005]

I'm one of the oddballs that told the kids right away and we have been planning it for TWO years! Of course, we always did preference it with saying what year we are going but it has helped me tremendously having them involved in the planning.

I have found out about attractions they want to go on and ones they don't. I would have picked completely different ones for them.

Even character meals would have been different. My kids ages when we go will be 11, 8, 5 & 1. My oldest is a DD, her absolute favorite character is Pooh bear. She wants to do Crystal Palace over CRT breakfast. She has basically come out and said "if we see the Princesses fine, if we don't that's fine too". Also found out that she doesn't really care for Mary Poppins that much. All sorts of stuff, not just from her either but from my boys as well.

They have been *really* good about not doing the "are we going yet?" concept but maybe because it's been built in. They know it's getting close now and I know my 8 year old has asked several times when it is we are going again - mostly because I think he forgets - he knows it's this summer but can't remember exactly when.

 

[sPaRkLeSpAz]

My parents usually suprise my sister and I. They tell us the day before we go.

 

[TheShellys]

as hard as it is right now...we're not telling the kids. We are going with another family and we are going to tell them we are going to a hotel to go swimming. Then we'll get up take the shuttle to the airport and be on our way to the happiest place on earth.

No way am I telling my kids. I'll never hear the end of it for the next 4 months......

 

[LauraAnn630]

We tell our kids as soon as we decide for sure. Our 8 yr old has saved $50.00 in 2 months! He knows hes going to want to buy a lot of Star Wars stuff! I will stuff the Easter eggs with Disney money and change. We put all our change in a huge jar and cash it in before we go.

Planning is part of the fun! My DS said, "I wish we were going tomorrow!" I said, "Me too! Soon we will be home from Disney and it will all be over!"
Its fun having something so exciting to look forward to!

 

[doodlebug]

Oh good I'm not the only one who is not telling.. My kids would ask everyday if it was time yet. What we are doing is telling them we are go to Disney because we usually go to Disneyland either during Winter Break (which has passed) or Spring Break. So we are just going to have them believe that they are just going to Disneyland until the last possible moment which will probably be mid flight because they know it only takes a couple hours from here to there not the 5+ hours it will take to get to WDW!!! In just 1 month from today we will be arriving at WDW!!

 

[pezpam]

I'm not telling, either! My DD7 knows we're going to FL to see my grandmother, but has no idea that I have a much longer vacation planned. April 19-27. My grandmother can only handle visitors for a day at a time these days, so we'll drive over to see her on the days or two she can see us and spend the rest of the time at WDW. DD thinks it'll be another couple of years before we visit WDW again, so the surprise will be GREAT! I am debating whether to ask the SWA people to help with the surprise or maybe not even tell her..... just let her figure it out when we pull up to Pop Century. <evil grin>

 

[jaz211228]

Hey PezPam....we'll be checking in at the PopCentury on the same day!!! Maybe we'll run into each other. I'll be with three little boys who will probably still be stunned that we're in Disney. They don't have a clue that we're leaving in 18 days.

 

[MrsPete]

For those who wait . . . suppose your spouse woke you up one morning and told you to get in the car -- it's time for a week at Disney. Sure, you'd be happy, but don't you think something would be missing? The joy of anticipating the trip? The time to read up in the guidebook and plan your trip? Time to find your favorite shorts, or time to pick out a new outfit?

I think knowing at the last minute would take away some of the fun.

And for kids, there's the learning aspect of helping plan a trip. I think that's more valuable than the momentary surprise of "hey, we're going now".

 

[pezpam]

Jaz - it'd be cool to meet up. PM me and maybe we could meet up for coffee or breakfast? I think there is a group of DISers who will be at Pop then and we mentioned a breakfast meetup on another board, but I don't know what happened with that for sure......

As for having kids involved in planning and anticipation and all of that..... my DD got to do all of that on our last 2 trips. I thought it'd be fun for a change to make it a surprise. We'll be there long enough that she can help plan what to do once we're there. Because this will be different, I suspect that the surprise itself will be a memory she keeps with her forever.

A more minor point to some, but without weeks of anticipation, I don't have to deal with a kid, already bored with 2nd grade work, who is thinking about Mickey and Princesses when she should be learning her cursive letters and subtraction tables........ She's had the anticipation experience twice and hopefully will again, so I don't feel like I am robbing her of anything.

 

[SALLYSUNSHINE]

I have a 7 y/o DS and a 2y/o DS and I told them back in January that we would be going the first of June. My 7 y/o is excited but understands that its along ways off and doesn't say much about it, but my 2 year old who has no concept of time ask everyday if we are going to see "Mic Mouse". We even have the vacation guide video and he watches that more than he any other movie!!! He's just so excited!!!

 

[GoingtoDisney]

We are not telling them until the day we leave. I am still trying to figure out how to do it exactly. We have to drive to Chicago early in the morning (about 2 hours) and then fly to Orlando. This will be our first trip with all of our kids. We went once for a brief stay when my oldest was 2 and I remember there was a family with 3 boys sitting in front of us. They had just found out they were going to Disney and it was so exciting to watch how excited they were!!

 

[KimR]

For those who wait . . . suppose your spouse woke you up one morning and told you to get in the car -- it's time for a week at Disney. Sure, you'd be happy, but don't you think something would be missing? The joy of anticipating the trip? The time to read up in the guidebook and plan your trip? Time to find your favorite shorts, or time to pick out a new outfit?".

It really depends on the child. We are surprising my 2 youngest DDs but I actually did tell my middle DD about the trip last summer. She looked at me with horror and was so disappointed that I told her because she wanted it to be a surprise like last 2 times. LOL! So, I didn't mention another word about it thinking she would forget the details of when we were going and I was right. She now thinks we are going next year for spring break but we are really leaving in 9 days! My oldest DD12 knows (she can keep a secret), but my youngest DD3 does not.

Now, I'm just thinking of how to tell them...DD likes to be surprised the morning of the trip. That makes it easier on us, too, because she doesn't handle anticipation well and if she knew about it she'd drive us nuts every day and never get to sleep the night before.

 

[DisneyMomOfThree]

We thought that we were the only people who were that 'evil' We went last April and didn't tell our three sons (then ages 3, 5, and 8) until we got to the airport and actually checked in. They were sooooo surprised!! We're doing the same thing this year. (Apr 19-Apr 27 '05) They would drive us crazy otherwise.

My DD1 knows, but my DS3 and DS6 would drive not only me crazy but their teachers as well. We have a surprize trip in 4 wks and one they know about in Sept. They are saving their money for Sept. so they will have money to spend.

 

[sarahsmom73]

I just planned a spur of the moment trip... DD 3 and I are leaving in 3 days! I don't plan on telling her we are going until we are on the way to the airport! (If I can stand it! )

 

[quiltymom]

...we're not telling the kids (ages 4 & 6) at all!!! We leave early Monday morning. All we're going to do is get them out of bed, dress them then get them in the car and drive to the airport. We're going to tell them we're going someplace special, and see how long it takes for them to figure it out!

The main reason we're not telling them is that they'd just be too excited to eat, sleep, etc., along with the constant, "Is it time to go yet?"

They've seen me do all the planning, but I believe they think we're going to Disneyland again this year when we visit my family in CA this summer (we've done that the past two summers). I'll do laundry the night before & just put their clothes in their suitcases instead of in their rooms. Pretty sneaky, huh?

 

[sarahsmom73]

I think it is great!